It's Hard to Keep a Secret When Everybody Knows
by kehwie
Summary: Written for the "Were Are They Now" apaloosa over at the Daniel/Vala LiveJournal community. Daniel and Vala's relationship post-The Ark of Truth.


Disclaimer: I do not own _Stargate SG-1, _and I make no profit.

A/N: I took the "where are they now" quite literally, so don't expect a whole lot of plot here. It's really just a glimpse of what Daniel, Vala, and the rest of the team are up to post-series. This piece was inspired by the scene in the gate room at the end of _Ark of Truth_. It's dedicated to my uncles, cousin, brother-in-law, and several friends, and to the memory of my grandfather. Happy Veterans Day, and remember to say thank you to those who serve or who have done so in the past. :)

As always, a thousand thank yous to the lovely AerynB for being beta reader, cheerleader, idea bouncer, and hand holder. She even talked me down from the panic attack I had last week when I threatened not to even post this. You can decide if you want to thank her for that or smack her for it. ;) Any mistakes found in the final copy are mine and mine alone.

**It's Hard to Keep a Secret When Everybody Knows**

"Dammit, Vala, would you just get out of here so I could actually get something _done_?" Sam heard Daniel's frustrated yell as she walked down the hall toward his office. She winced. She had hoped that during her time away on the _Hammond_ those two would have learned to get along. Apparently, though...not so much.

"Oh, _come on_, Daniel!" came Vala's answering shout. "We've been at it for hours, we're going in absolute circles, I'm hungry, and I'm _bored_!"

"Then go! Eat! Maybe I'll quit 'going in circles' and actually make some progress once you're out of my hair!"

"Fine!" Vala stormed out of the office, then came to an abrupt halt when she saw Sam standing there. The former space pirate squealed and launched herself at her friend, sweeping her into an exuberant hug. "Samantha! You're here! Daniel! Get out here! Sam's here!"

And just that suddenly, the anger seemed to evaporate and both of them were in good spirits. Daniel came out of the office with a warm smile and a hug of his own for Sam. The three of them headed to the commissary to eat and catch up. Daniel and Vala regaled Sam with stories of recent missions and on-base antics. Sam filled them in on life aboard the _Hammond_. No one mentioned the fight she'd overheard.

Later, Sam managed to find a few minutes to chat with Cameron. After they had gotten the scoop on each other's lives, she asked, "So what's up with Daniel and Vala?"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Cam responded shortly. "Sometimes when I listen to them, I don't know how they've kept from killing each other. Sometimes I feel like killing the both of them myself. I've thought about locking them in a room and letting them go at it like a couple of damn rabbits. Then I think I don't want _that_ on my team—too complicated, you know? But hell, sometimes I get the impression they're _already_ going at it like rabbits, so what difference does it make? SG-1's own screwed up version of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' So I just do not care anymore."

"It doesn't affect missions?" Sam questioned. "They sounded like they couldn't be in the same room when I first got here. It blew over quickly, but that could be deadly in the wrong circumstances."

"Believe it or not, they make a good team in the field." Cam shrugged. "They fight, but they get the job done. And even when they're spewing obscenities, there's not a doubt in my mind that they'd take a bullet for each other."

"Well, how about separating them here at the base?" Sam offered. "I mean, Daniel doesn't really _need_Vala's help with cataloging and translation work."

"Already done," Cam said. "Landry realized a long time ago that he needed to put Vala's unique skill set to better use. He put her in charge of security systems and protocols, has her looking for weak spots. She also helps train new recruits from time to time and works with Lee in the lab deciphering alien tech. She's damn good at all of it, and it keeps her and Jackson outta each other's hair when we're not off-world. The only reason she was working with him in his office today was that SG-11 found some artifact with writing on it that was some weird, obscure Goa'uld dialect. Vala happened to recognize it from her time as Qetesh and informed Jackson that he'd translated part of it wrong. So she got drafted to help him get it right. Jackson's bruised ego probably contributed to some of the tension you heard, not to mention Vala is _exactly_ the type to say 'I told you so.'"

Sam nodded slowly. "That makes sense." She smiled suddenly. "Actually, I'm glad that Vala has her own set of duties most of the time. Having her just be Daniel's assistant was rather a waste of her knowledge and skills. Honestly, I'd love to have her on the _Hammond_; with all of her contacts and resources, she'd be a big help against the Alliance."

Cam scowled. "Yeah, well, you can't have her. I've already lost you; I'm not losing her as well. Those contacts and resources you mention have been invaluable on a couple of missions, and her quick thinking saves our asses more often than I care to think about."

Sam laughed at that. "All right, fine. You three boys probably need a woman to keep you in line anyway."

Cam rolled his eyes at that but let it drop. "Hey, you gonna be around for a couple of days?"

"Sure, why?"

"Our girl's taken to planning a few social events around the base as well. Her Halloween shindig was the best freakin' party I've ever been to. Now she's got a bee in her bonnet about Veterans Day. I don't know what she's got up her sleeve—Jackson made her promise it would be something low-key and 'suitable for the day'-but she's excited about it. You should come."

Sam smiled. "Yeah, I will. Sounds fun."

November 11 dawned bright and clear. There was a slight chill to the air, and Sam took in the blazing colors of fall as she drove to the mountain that morning. She would only be in Colorado for a few more days, but she had to admit that she was enjoying the change in routine from the _Hammond_. She was in too many meetings to call the time on Earth a vacation, but she still felt rejuvenated by it. Driving through the security checkpoint, Sam sneaked one last look at the brightly colored mountains—definitely a nice change of scenery from the blackness of space.

After hours of wanting to bang her head on the table because of bureaucratic stupidity, Sam was finally able to go to the festivities Vala had planned. She entered the commissary, taking note of the large "thank you" banner on display, the bouquets of autumn leaves, the baskets of small gifts. _Vala really did a fantastic job_, she thought approvingly, smiling as she stepped into the food line.

Biting into her meatball sandwich, Sam scanned the room. She noticed Teal'c talking with some Marines and wandered over to say hello.

She didn't get the chance to say much of anything to her Jaffa friend; Vala picked that moment to enter, and the room burst into applause and cheers. The former space pirate grinned, looking pleased with herself.

The applause died down, and Vala came to join Sam and Teal'c. "Vala, this is fabulous," Sam complimented. She took another bite of her sandwich. "And how in the world did you get manage to get the commissary to have _good_ food? These meatballs are outstanding!"

Vala laughed. "I got Sol's Diner to cater. It wasn't easy, because obviously Sal doesn't have clearance to come on base. He cooked for days at the deli, and I cajoled some of the off-duty SF's to go pick it up. Then we just reheated it here." She smiled at Sam. "You made a good choice; Sal always said his meatball sandwich was his personal favorite of everything he cooked."

"I can see why." Sam nodded, taking another generous bite.

Cam joined the group and slung an arm around Vala's shoulders. "You've outdone yourself this time, darlin'. I think you missed your calling. Forget stealing and subterfuge. Hell, forget exploring the galaxy. Be an event planner."

Vala giggled in delight. "Now, Cameron, whatever would you all do without me? You've already lost Samantha. If I left too, who would save your sorry asses?"

"You do have a point there," Cam acknowledged with a grin. He glanced around. "So what's in the gift baskets?"

Vala shrugged. "Daniel said today has evolved to become mostly about saying thank you to those who serve or who have served. So I picked up some token gifts—trinkets really. But I set up a website weeks ago where people could leave thank you notes to military personnel. I printed those and attached one to each of the presents."

Sam stared at her. "Vala, that is a wonderful idea." She gave the other woman a quick hug. "Really, there couldn't _be_ a better tribute for Veterans Day." The pleased smile returned to Vala's face as she hugged Sam back.

Cam glanced around the room. "Couldn't drag Jackson here, I take it?"

Vala's face tightened slightly. "I stopped by his office on the way here. He said he had something 'important' he needed to finish." She sniffed. "His little helper was with him."

"Helper?" Sam was startled. No one had been in the office with Daniel other than Vala the day she arrived, and no one had mentioned Daniel having an assistant.

"Erin Davies is a linguist who aids Daniel Jackson with his translation work now that Vala Mal Doran has other duties," Teal'c informed her. "She is a very...eager assistant."

"Cute little thing too," Cam said cheerfully, ignoring the dark look Vala gave him.

"Well, I'll go tell them that they really need to try this meatball sandwich," Sam said decisively. She grinned. "I'm here so rarely that Daniel will feel obligated to come if I ask him to." Cam grinned back in agreement.

Sam slowed her steps slightly as she neared Daniel's office, still remembering the fight she'd almost walked in on a couple of days ago. Nothing but silence came from the room though. She knocked on the outside of the door and heard Daniel's distracted, "Yeah?"

She walked in and noted both Daniel and a petite blonde hunched over the desk hard at work. "Hey. Come down to the commissary. Vala got Sal to cater, and the meatball sandwiches are out of this world."

Daniel looked up. "Sam. Hey. Sorry, got wrapped up in this text. It looks like it may be similar to Euskara, the language of the Basque. You know, linguists on Earth have been studying Euskara for years, but it's a language isolate, unrelated to any other known language. Linguists keep trying to nail down similarities, to uncover its origins or at least find related languages, but none of it has ever gone anywhere. There's a whole lot of debate and theory, but no answers. Erin thinks this text might just hold the key though. Can you imagine if we solved _that_ mystery? Or even found a clue to get us started?"

"Wow, I can see why it's sucked you in," Sam remarked. She had always understood the pursuit of knowledge which drove Daniel. "You really should take a break and come to the commissary though. You would not believe what a terrific job Vala has done on her Veterans Day celebration. And you really need to get one of the meatball sandwiches before they're gone."

And the same pleased look that had lit up Vala's face when the commissary burst into applause now lit Daniel's. Sam took in his small, soft smile and realized, _He's really proud of her._

In and of itself, that wasn't too surprising; they were all proud of their friend and teammate. But Sam thought back to Cam's comment a few days ago, _"Sometimes I get the impression they're already going at it like rabbits." _Cam knew Daniel well but not as well as Sam—he hadn't spent the last decade plus being surrogate sister/confidant/science twin. But looking at Daniel's expression in that moment, Sam _knew._ The bickering, the fighting, the separate duties on base, even the cute little blond assistant—none of it mattered one whit. Daniel and Vala were together. Not just sleeping together, but really and truly _together_. She didn't know why they had chosen to keep it a secret, and she wouldn't be the one to spill the beans, but she knew. When her eyes met his, she knew he knew that she knew as well. His mouth twisted slightly in a wry half-smile of acknowledgment.

"A break sounds good," he declared. "C'mon, Erin, let's go check out the festivities."

"Sure thing, Dr. Jackson," Erin agreed, following the two of them out the door.

When they reached the commissary, they headed over to where Vala, Cam, and Teal'c were still standing and chatting with the Marines. Daniel nudged Vala's foot lightly. Vala grinned and bumped him back. It occurred to Sam that she had seen them repeat that gesture or something similar on numerous occasions—in the gate room before missions, while settling down to a meal of MRE's off-world, in the briefing room. The two had always been able to communicate without words, but this seemed to be almost a code between them. She wondered what the ritual might mean. When Daniel excused himself to go get food, Sam followed him.

He glanced at her as they got in line. "All right, so what do you wanna know?"

She grinned at how well they knew each other. "Well, how long, for starters? And why the big secret?"

That wry half-smile was back. "Oh, I guess it started right after we defeated Adria and the Ori. When Tomin left and Vala didn't go with him, I realized she was really here for good. That this was _home._ As for the secret, well..." He shrugged, looking almost sheepish. "Some days I think we were crazy to come up with this 'we'll just keep it between us' nonsense. It's _hard, _and there are times when I really hate it. But even though we're civilians and not _technically_ subject to the military's non-fraternization clause, we didn't want to risk it. It seemed easier to act like nothing really had changed." His smile grew to a smirk. "Erin provides good deflection. She's smart, attractive, and soft-spoken; she seems like my type. And Vala thinks she has a bit of a crush on me. I'm not leading her on; our relationship is strictly professional, and she knows that. But if others want to draw their own conclusions about it, well..." His voice trailed off.

Sam couldn't hold back a small chuckle. "Who knew you could be so devious?" she teased. He looked slightly sheepish, so she changed the subject. "What's up with the nudging? I've seen you do it several times; it means something, right? And if it's too personal to share, I understand; I just couldn't help being curious."

Daniel's cheeks reddened. "You _would_ be the one to notice that," he muttered. "Everyone else just chalks it up to our normal antagonism. We still annoy the hell out of each other on a regular basis, so seemingly kicking or bumping each other doesn't seem too out of place." He blew out a noisy breath. "Cam can put an arm around Vala whenever he wants, and no one thinks anything of it. I _can't_. I can't even hold her hand because of all the stupid secrecy. So we came up with this instead. It works—gives us a way to connect to each other, to show affection somehow. Kind of our own unspoken 'I love you.'" He gave her a sideways glance. "Don't tell Vala I told you, okay?"

Sam nodded. "I won't; I promise. I do think it's awfully sweet though." She smiled teasingly. "So how serious _are_ the two of you? I haven't seen any rings yet..."

To her surprise, Daniel blushed even harder. He looked nervously around and even though they had been speaking quietly, he lowered his voice even further. "Yeah, well, she's not from a world where rings are traditional. And I didn't wear one with Sha're, so..." He shrugged.

Sam's eyes widened. "Are you _kidding_me? Daniel!"

"Shh!" His eyes darted around again. "We visited the county courthouse a few months back. Seemed the easiest way." He met her gaze. "I would have loved for you to have been there, Sam. Jack too. It just wasn't...possible. I'm sorry."

She nodded slowly. "I understand. I hate that I missed it, but I do understand." She grinned mischievously. "When you two do go public, I demand to be allowed to host a reception or something though."

He laughed in relief. "It's a deal. Thanks for understanding, Sam." They headed back to rejoin the group.

"So, guys," Cam said, "Any plans for the evening? We oughtta go out and do something; Sam's not here very often."

"O'Malley's is offering free meals to past and present military personnel," Vala offered. The others, full of Sal's excellent food, groaned slightly. Teal'c looked intrigued.

"How 'bout a Plan B?" Cam suggested tactfully. "I think we're all stuffed, Princess."

"We could go to O'Malley's anyway and just play darts and pool and whatnot," Daniel offered. "Maybe later we'll feel like appetizers and drinks or something."

"Works for me," Sam agreed. She grinned. "I always enjoy watching Teal'c kick everyone's butts at darts." Teal'c inclined his head toward her, an amused smile gracing his lips.

Sam ended up riding with Cam and Teal'c to O'Malley's; not surprisingly, Daniel and Vala drove separately. Unable to to keep her amusement entirely in check, Sam met Cam's gaze in the rear view mirror. He grinned back. "You figured them out, didn't you? I knew you would."

Sam couldn't help it; her jaw dropped open. "Seriously? You guys know?"

Cam rolled his eyes. "We're not blind or stupid, Sam. To be fair, Jackson and Vala do a pretty decent job of hiding it, but we spend way too much time together not to pick up on the signs. I daresay the big guy here figured it out first." Teal'c nodded at this. "But I wasn't too far behind him, I don't think. Jackson doesn't know that either of us know. Vala knows that I do. She needed a pal and confidant after you left, and I got drafted for the part." He shrugged. "We all play dumb, and nothing about the team has to change. Works for everyone, really."

"So you don't think anyone else knows?" Sam pressed.

"Well, I seriously doubt the General is blind or stupid either," Cam returned dryly. "I'm not positive that he knows, but I'd bet he does. He just keeps mum like the rest of us do. If we pretend we don't know, we don't have to do anything about it." His eyes met hers in the rear view mirror again. "I am sorry for misleading you that first day you were here. It's not that we don't trust you; you know that. But I'd promised Vala, and I knew you'd figure it out on your own anyway."

"No, it's all right; I understand," Sam assured him. She shook her head. "It's kind of funny, really, but I do feel kind of bad for them. It's got to be hard trying to keep it such a secret. Daniel mentioned not being able to put an arm around her or hold her hand or anything. And if it's not even a secret anymore, then what's the point? Why put them through all that?" She hesitated, then plunged ahead. "Why not tell them you know so they can drop the act?"

Cam exchanged looks with Teal'c. "I really don't want to lose either of them from the team, Sam," he said softly. "There's no way to choose between them even—they're both invaluable. But I fear they _would_ be separated if we had to openly acknowledge their relationship. They may not be technically military, but they _do _work for a military organization, and I'm not sure the General would like them flaunting the regs like that. And well, I'm not sure it's such a bad thing for Vala to have to keep herself in check somewhat. I don't need her suddenly thinking she can make out in the hallways or anything."

"I think you're misjudging her," Sam said quietly. Cam might have taken her place as closest pal, but obviously there were some things that only another girl could understand. "Vala isn't so over-the-top when she's really sure of her place. If she's secure in where she stands with Daniel, she won't cause you any trouble."

"You may be right," Cam conceded. "I know she still thinks of you as her best friend, and you're gonna know things I don't. I'm just not sure we could make it work if we agree to let them go public. SG-1 may not be saving the galaxy on the same scale with the Goa'uld and Ori pretty much gone, but we still do good work. I need both of them." He sighed. "If it came down to it, Jackson's seniority would come in to play. Vala would be the one who would be reassigned. And frankly, she's the one who'd be harder to replace. Jackson's the best at what he does; don't get me wrong. But I could grab a linguist and an archaeologist or anthropologist and sort of make up for some of what he brings to the table. But Vala..." He shook his head. "I couldn't come up with her skill set if I added twelve people to SG-1."

"Daniel might step aside to let Vala stay," Sam suggested. "I realize it's not ideal. Obviously a team and a team member are always more than just the sum of their parts. But he could volunteer to be moved and let Vala stay. I bet he'd be willing to do that."

"If either of them were willing to leave SG-1, do you not think they would have made their relationship known by now?" Teal'c asked. Sam winced. She had no answer for that one. "I believe they too realize their contributions to the team are more than 'the sum of their parts' and are reluctant to make such a drastic change," the Jaffa continued.

Sam leaned back against her seat and sighed in defeat. "Point taken, Teal'c," she murmured. "But, damn...I hate it for them."

"We all do," Cam reassured her. "That's why we try to look the other way as much as possible. That's why I tease Vala and Jackson about the good Dr. Davies, even though I know full well there's nothing going on there. That's why we take separate cars to all our team nights—they always drive together. And we _never_ have a team night at Jackson's place. We're not going to make him come up with an explanation as to why I don't need to drive Vala home. There's not really much else we can do for them, but we do what we can."

Sam nodded slowly, still unhappy with the whole thing but unable to see a way out of it. Cam was pulling into O'Malley's parking lot anyway. He opened her door for her. "Look, Sam, I know this kinda hits home for you. But right now, they're okay and we're okay, and that's the best we can do, all right?" Sam nodded again, and the three headed inside.

Daniel and Vala hadn't arrived yet; Cam said they always took "the long way" to outings like this. "They'll be along soon enough. Let's go start a game of pool, huh?"

They were well into the second game when Daniel and Vala arrived. Vala had her arm tucked securely through Daniel's. She could get away with that, Sam knew, because she was just as likely to slip an arm through Cam's or Teal'c's. No one would think anything of it. Sometimes Vala's flirtatious nature paid off, Sam reflected.

Vala released Daniel's arm and came bounding over. "Who's winning?" she asked brightly, giving Sam a quick, one-armed hug. Daniel trailed up behind, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Cam rolled his eyes. "Sam's already beaten me once, and she's on her way to doing it a second time. I might as well be playing darts with Teal'c."

"Humiliation either way," Vala agreed cheerfully. Cam scowled at her. Daniel's grin widened. Sam giggled and nailed her next shot. Her fellow colonel threw up his hands in defeat.

"I give," he said wearily. "I'm gonna go let the big guy have his fun beating me; you've had enough."

"So which one of you wants to play?" Sam asked as she began to set up the table.

"I will," Vala immediately offered, moving to help.

"You want me to go grab us some drinks?" Daniel offered.

Vala's response was to squeal and launch herself at him. Daniel caught her and hugged her back, making a show of rolling his eyes, but Sam could see the smile was still there. Yeah, Vala's personality definitely had its perks, Sam mused. Nudging only went so far; Vala's over-the-top ways could fill in some of the rest.

Sam ordered a rum and Coke, and Vala asked for a passion fruit martini. Another smile flickered across Daniel's face as he left to get their drinks.

Vala took the first shot, then leaned back to eye her friend. "You know, don't you?" she murmured. "We're at something of a disadvantage with you; you know _both_of us too well."

"Yeah, I know," Sam confirmed. "You're right; you're my best friend, and Daniel's like my brother. I picked up on a few things I don't think anyone else would notice." She hesitated, then added, "Cam and Teal'c know too, you know."

Vala nodded, watching as Sam nailed another shot. "I knew Cameron did, and I suspected Muscles might. Daniel insists I'm being paranoid, but I think General Landry might know as well."

"Cam thinks he does," Sam agreed. She missed her next shot and stood back for Vala's turn. "You two are subtle, but there just aren't many secrets on a military base."

Vala made three shots in a row, then missed. The two girls had always been pretty evenly matched so it was anybody's game. Sam set up her shot as Daniel returned with their drinks. Vala downed her martini in one long swig. Daniel rolled his eyes. "Take it easy, huh? I can't afford to keep you in liquor all night if it's not going to last any longer than that."

"Isn't he sweet?" Vala grumbled to Samantha. "He isn't worried about me getting drunk or hungover; he's just worried about his wallet."

"Like you _ever_get drunk or hungover," Daniel retorted. Sam grinned and sipped her Coke.

Vala won the first game of pool, and Sam won the second, so they decided to go for best of three. Cam and Teal'c wandered back over as they were setting up the game. Vala had managed to wheedle two more martinis out of Daniel, but he was insisting that was it as the colonel and Jaffa approached.

A mischievous look crossed Cam's face, and he threw his arm around Vala. "Don't worry, Princess; I'll buy you a drink if Jackson's too cheap." Daniel's face darkened ever so slightly, and Sam wondered just how often Cam deliberately antagonized him like this.

"Thank you, Cameron," Vala cooed. "I'll have a margarita, I think." Cam sauntered off to the bar, winking over his shoulder at Sam and Vala. Daniel huffed slightly, only to glare when Sam couldn't hold back a giggle.

Fortunately, that was the last time Cam gave the not-so-secret couple a hard time. Sam barely managed to beat Vala in the third game and by then everyone was ready to sit and eat at least a snack. They ordered several appetizers to share and settled into a booth. Vala chattered happily with Sam while Cam flirted with the waitress. Daniel sipped a bottled water.

They finally wrapped the evening up a couple of hours later. Sam would be leaving late the next day to return to the _Hammond_. Vala hugged her hard. "I miss you so much, Samantha," she whispered. "Cameron really isn't the same."

Sam hugged her back. "I miss you too," she murmured. And in spite of the earlier conversations with Cam, she offered in a low tone, "Sure you don't want to join me on the _Hammond_? I could use you, and it might make _other things_ easier."

Vala bit her lip. And to Sam's surprise, she whispered, "I'll think about it. I'll let you know, okay?"

As they pulled apart, Cam scowled at her. Sam had a feeling he had either heard snippets of the conversation or had somehow guessed what it concerned. She looked at him apologetically, but his tight jaw indicated that he wasn't in a forgiving mood at that moment. That ought to make for a fun drive back to the base.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as they got in the car Cam let her have it. "Dammit, Sam, what the hell are you doing? I _told_ you you couldn't have her!"

Sam crossed her arms stubbornly. "Well, I'm sorry, but that should be Vala's decision, not yours! And if Vala is with me instead of on SG-1, she and Daniel don't have to hide anything! It works for everyone!"

"Except for Daniel and Vala," Cam shot back. "They'd never see each other if she's off gallivanting around the galaxy with you! At least now they're together every day, even if it's ostensibly just as friends and teammates!"

"Well, I'm sure Vala will take that into consideration!" Sam snapped. "She and Daniel can talk it over and decide what they want to do. But _you_, Cameron Mitchell, don't get a say in it!"

Cam smacked the steering wheel. "It's always you, isn't it? You were the last sticking point when it came to the band getting back together, and then you were the first to leave. And now you're tryin' to bust it up further!"

"It's not about you!" Sam exploded. "Get over yourself, Cam! Get over your stupid idealized notions of 'the band'! This is Daniel and Vala's _life_ we're talking about here!"

"You can't just come in for a few days after being away and throw a wrench into everything," Cam ground out. "It's not fair, Sam. You aren't here day in and day out. What we have is _working_. You just haven't been here long enough to see it."

"If it were working so well, Vala wouldn't even be tempted by my offer," Sam countered. "If it were working so well, Daniel wouldn't have talked to me about how hard it was and how he hated it sometimes. It _isn't_ working, Cam. You're just too wrapped up in your notion of 'the team' to see it."

"I think, Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c intervened, "that both of you raise valid points. However, you are so convinced of your own point of view that you are unable to consider the other's perspective. Perhaps it would behoove us to consider all points of view and examine the situation from every side. There might be a better solution that benefits everyone."

Cam expelled a noisy sigh. "Yeah, yeah, all right. Truce time. Sam, you wanna get Jackson on his cell? Tell him we're comin' over, and we'll just hash all this out tonight."

"Okay," Sam murmured, feeling properly chastised as she took out her phone. Teal'c really cut through all the bullshit and boiled it all down to the most basic truths, didn't he?

Daniel protested at first, but Sam explained the entire situation and he finally acquiesced. A few minutes later they were all gathered in his apartment.

"Okay," Cam began, "here's the situation. We all know about Daniel and Vala's relationship, even though we pretend not to. We pretend not to because they're trying to keep it secret. They're trying to keep it secret because they don't want to break up the team. I am definitely _all_ in favor of that—maybe too much so, as Sam pointed out in the car." Sam winced slightly at that, but Cam waved a hand dismissively.

"Now, Sam here thinks Vala taking a job on the _Hammond_ is a solution," Cam continued. "Vala and Daniel won't be working on the same team anymore, so nothing has to stay under wraps. Vala would be an asset to Sam's crew and I think she would enjoy the job, but that breaks up SG-1 and it keeps Daniel and Vala apart for long periods of time. I'm not too crazy about the first part of that, and I daresay the two of you aren't real excited about the second." Daniel nodded in confirmation at this, giving Vala's hand a quick squeeze.

"Now, the big guy here thinks we might be able to put all our heads together and come up with some sort of solution that works for everyone," Cam concluded. "I admit that I sure as hell don't know what that solution is. I would've offered it up a long time ago if I had one. But Sam's determined to let you two go public somehow, and I'm determined to keep the team together. But that's just us. Jackson, Vala, what do _you _two want?"

Daniel and Vala exchanged glances. "I think we've gone over all this about a thousand times," Daniel said with soft regret. "We _would_ love to end all the secrecy. It's stupid, especially since it's apparently not working anyway, and it's miserable. But we both love our jobs. Vala worked really hard to be accepted as a part of SG-1, and she'd be the one reassigned because of my seniority. I don't want to do that to her. If I offered to step down instead, Vala's afraid I'd eventually resent her. Sam's offer would be the ideal solution, if it weren't for the fact that a long-distance relationship across the galaxy doesn't really sound like fun to me."

Teal'c spoke up. "Would not O'Neill, as head of Homeworld Security, be in a position to allow the two of you to remain on the same team? You are not military, and with his approval I do not foresee any problems."

"I've thought of that too," Daniel admitted. "But I'd hate for anyone to think I was asking him for favors. It kind of smacks of him pulling strings just because we're friends."

Sam took a deep breath, shot Cam an apologetic look, then said, "What if you _both_ left SG-1?" She held up a hand as Cam sat bolt upright and looked ready to protest. "Hear me out, please. Vala, we all know that you were originally added to SG-1 because of your first-hand knowledge of Adria and the Ori. With them gone now, it's time to make better use of your _other_ knowledge and skills. You could be a floater of sorts, traveling with whatever SG team needed your particular expertise or contacts on a per mission basis."

Vala nodded slowly at that. "That actually sounds interesting," she murmured. "SG-5 got into a sticky mess a few weeks ago on a planet where I spent some time a few years back. I think I could have either helped them avoid the situation altogether or at least get out of it with less of an ordeal."

"Exactly," Sam confirmed. "I know how huge a help you are to Cam, but it's really not fair for only SG-1 to benefit from your knowledge and background. Now, Daniel." She turned to him. "I know you'd love to have more time available for research. If you resigned from SG-1, you'd have that time, and you could just go off-world on an as-needed basis as well. Both of you being reassigned eliminates the resentment factor, and you both get to do what interests you. Everyone wins."

"Except SG-1," Cam muttered darkly, still glaring. He sat back against the couch. "However, if you two really want to go public, it's probably the best we can come up with." He eyed Sam. "How come you didn't mention all this earlier?"

"I really didn't think of it until now," Sam admitted. "I think I was too worked up. Teal'c was right; I had to calm down and be willing to see it from all sides." She smiled at the Jaffa, who tilted his head slightly and returned the smile.

"Why don't we sleep on it tonight?" Daniel suggested. "It _is_ a big decision, and I'd like to be able to talk it over with Vala in private. Sam, what's your schedule tomorrow? Maybe we can meet up sometime, and we'll let you all know what we've decided."

"I should be free for lunch," Sam said. "I'd love for us all to have lunch together anyway before I head back to the _Hammond_." She smiled at Vala. "I really would love to take you back with me, and that offer's still on the table, but I have a feeling you're gonna say no to that one." Vala nodded, leaning into Daniel's side. He gave her a quick squeeze.

Once again, Sam found herself in the car with Cam and Teal'c. The mood was less tense, although she knew Cam was still unhappy. She drew a deep breath. "I really am sorry, Cam. I didn't mean to come back and interfere with your command. I didn't realize that was what I was doing until about halfway through the conversation at Daniel's. You have every right to be upset with me for that. I would be just as upset if you showed up on the _Hammond_ and did the same."

Cam relaxed somewhat at her words. "Apology accepted. I do love SG-1, Sam, but I'm not _that_ selfish. You did kinda get my nose outta joint mucking around with my command, though. I guess that's part of the problem with being the same rank—not to mention good friends. We forget the proper protocols sometimes."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. She smiled. "You _are _a good friend, Cam. I'm sorry if you end up losing Daniel and Vala. I don't mean to make light of it."

Cam grinned. "I oughtta bump you off the _Hammond_ and make you come back to SG-1 as punishment," he teased. "But unfortunately, the whole same rank thing means I don't have the authority, and the whole friends thing means I wouldn't do it anyway." Sam giggled. Teal'c smiled.

"It would seem history is repeating itself, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c intoned. "You are once again faced with rebuilding SG-1. Perhaps this time it will go better than the first."

"Well, sure it will," Cam said cheerfully. "For one thing, I'll still have you, big guy." He paused, then asked nervously, "Right?"

"Indeed," Teal'c assured him. "We shall work together to find our other team members." Cam breathed a sigh of relief.

Sam laughed again. "You both are assuming that leaving the team is going to be Daniel and Vala's decision, then? I mean, technically, they haven't left yet."

"Yeah, they're as good as gone, I think, unless the general gives them some sort of dispensation," Cam said. "Vala liked your suggestion, Sam. I think they've been looking for a way outta the whole secrecy mess for awhile now. It just took you coming back to shake us up and give them an idea of how it could work." He pulled into the checkpoint and showed his ID. After he was waved on through, he parked next to Sam's car in the parking lot. "I think I'm just gonna crash here tonight. I don't feel like doin' anymore driving right now."

Sam climbed out of the car. "Actually, I feel the same. Let's head inside. Morning comes early."

"Yep, it has a nasty habit of coming before I'm awake," Cam grumbled good-naturedly.

Morning did indeed come earlier than Sam would have liked. She attended her last meeting, finished up a few tasks on-base, then headed to the commissary to meet her former team for lunch.

As soon as she entered, she knew Cam was right. Daniel sat with his arm around Vala, looking peaceful. Vala snuggled into his side with her head resting on his shoulder. Sam met their eyes and smiled.

"So," she said, dropping into the chair in front of them, "about that reception..."

END


End file.
